Stop mechanism



R. L. CAMPBELL.

STOP MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MM5. I9I9.

Patented May i8, 1920g ww :EEE y m m i.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

iwY L. CAMPBELL, or ALTONPARK, rENNEssEE, AssrcfNoE or ONEH'ALr To J. W. oUMMINGs, or' ALTONPARK, TENNEssEE.

STOP MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Appueation mea May 5, 1919. serial No. 294,950.

To all icwm it 'may Cof/wcm vBe it known that I, ROY L. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Altonpark,` in the county lof Hamilton vand State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stop Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to improvements in stop mechanisml and more particularly to such asis 'adaptable .for use with knitting machines employed in the manufacture of tubular l'fabric, such as hose.

An object of my invention is to provide simple and efficient means for causing the prompt stopping of a knitting machine upon the appearance of a hole in the knitted fabric,however small the hole may be and in whatever portion of the circular contour ofthe, fabric the hole may occur.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a sectional view illustrating an embodiment of my invention with the tubular fabric inv place; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 1, with the fabric and spreader removed; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 1 -4 of Fig. 2; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detail views. j

1 represents a bracket to be secured to a part,Y of the frame l'of a knitting machine and constitutes the supporting means for the devices embodied in my improved stop mechanisni.

Aiguide bracket 2 is secured to the supporting bracket 1 and is made with perforated lugs 3 through which the rods 4 5 of ,a vertically movable'frame 6 have free movement. Two horizontally disposed arms 7, 8 are hinged by means of pins 8L to the head 9 of the vertically movable frame 6 and to these arms, the semi-circular members 10-11 of a horizontal circular or annular frame 12, are adjustably secured,- stoppin's 13 being provided on the head 9 to be engaged by said arms to insure the accurate alining'of the two members of said circular frame, The two circular frame members may be provided also with arms 14k-44, normally connected by a latch 15. The horizontally disposed frame 12, being made in sections hinged together, it may be opened or closed to permit removal or insertion of the tubular fabric. I

Each semi-circular member of the circular frame comprises a base plate 16 having a plurality of radial grooves 17 located closely together, for the accommodation of a. corresponding number of radially movable finders 18 each of which latter projects inwardly beyond the inner curved edge of the plate so that when the two members of the circular frame are assembled, a circular or annular series of finders locatedclose to each other will be provided topenga'ge the knitted tube 19 passing through the opening 20 of the circular frame througl'iout the cir;- cumference or circular contour of said tube and in such close proximity to each other that if a hole, however small, occurs in any portion of the knitted tube, one of the tinders may enter such hole.

The knitted tube coming from the knitting machine and passing through the opening 2O formed by the circular frame, will be expanded, (by means of a spreader 21 at the lower end of a shaft 22 secured to the knitting machine), so as to cause it to engage'the circular series of finders. Said finders are pressed inwardly against the knitted tube by means of springs 23. These springs are attached at one end to flanges 24 at the inner edges of plates 25 secured to the plates 16 of the circular frame and forming parts of said circular frame, said plates 25 covering the slots in which the finders are mounted, and the other or outer ends of said springs are secured to lugs 26 which project upwardly from the outer ends of the finders 18. The lugs 26 are formed with shoulders 26a which engage the plates 25 and limit the inward movement of the finders. v Y

The vertically movable frame 6 and the devices above described mounted thereon, are sustained in normal position by a spring 27 encircling one of the rods of said vertically movable frame and bearing at one end against a pin 28 projecting from saidrod and at the other end against one ofthe lugs 3 of the guide bracket 2.v A rack bar 29 is secured to the rod i of the vertically movable frame 6 and meshes with a pinion S0 secured to a shaft 3l. This'shaft is mounted in a bracket 32 secured to the supporting bracket 1. g A shifting arm or member 38 is secured to the shaft 31 and adapted by its movement when the shaft 3l is turned, to operate any suitable clutch gear -or belt shifting devices for stopping the operation of the knitting machine.

lf during the knitting or the tube, a hole occurs iii the latter from any cause, one of the many finders 18 will be projected, by the action of its spring, through such hole and as the knitted tube continues to move down- Wardly. the circular fame will, by conne@ l tion of the finder with' the knitted tube, be

caused to move downwardly, thereby causing the framev 6V to descend against the resistance of the spring 27 and cause rotation Vof theshaft 27'through the medium of the rack-and-pinion connection of the latter with the trame 6, and mo lvement of the arm 38 due to the rotary movement of the shaft 27 will operate through the medium of any suitable Vmeans. to shift clutch gearl or belt shifting devicesl (not shown) to stop the operation of the knittingmachine. Y

Various changes might made in the details of construction of my invention Without Vder )arting from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hencel do not Wish to restrictlmyself to the precise details herein set forth.` Y Y Having fully described my invention What I claim as new and desireto secure by Leti which might occur 'in said fabric due to imperfect knitting thereof. Y f

2. In stop mechanism, the combination with a frame having a central. opening for the passage of a knitted tube and yieldable in y,he direction of travel of said tube,l of a series of "spring-pressed finders carried by said yieldable frameV around said Vcentral opening, ak shiftingV member, and devices between said yieldablev frame and shifting member for transmitting movement of said frame to in thedirection off-.travel of said tube', a shifting member and devices connecting'v said shifting member and yieldable frame,- of a Vplurality of spring-pressed finderscare said Vshifting Y'member 3.]n' stop mechanism, the combination iv-ithaframe 'having an opening for the `oassagef of ajknitted tube and mounted to yield in.' i '1.-

ried'by'said yieldable frame around the `opening therein and adapted to enter said opening and press againstthe knitted tube, any one or said linders adapted to enter a hole which might occur in said knitted tube and cause movement of said frame by the movement of said knitted tube in the direction of travel of said tube, to transmit motion to said shifting'member for stopping the knitting operation.

el. in stop mechanism, the combination with a vertically movable frame, a vshifting member, and gearing between saidshifting member and vertically movable frame,of a horizontally-disposed frame carried by said vertically movable frame and having an opening for the passage of a lmitted tube, and a plurality of spring-pressed inders carried by said horizontal frame' and adapted to project into the opening therein and engage said knitted tube. f' Y 'v 5. In a stop mechanism, the' combination with a vertically movable frame, a shifting member, and gearing between said shifting member and said vertically movable frame', of a horizontal frame carried by said ver tically movable frame and having an opening fora knitted tube, a plurality of finders carried by said horizontal frame and adapted to enter the opening therein and engage the knitted tube, and a spreader for expanding said knitted tube against said finders. V

6. ln stop mechanism, the combination With'a shifting member, a frame having an opening therein for the passage of a knitted tube and mounted to yield in thedireetion of travel of said tube, and means for imparting yielding movement ofsaid framevto said4 shifting member, of a plurality/0f spring-v pressed inders carried by-said frame and adapted to ente'i1 the opening therein and engage vsaid knitted tube,meansfor forcing said knitted tube against said finders, and a: spring operatingto snstainsaid framerin normal position. 5 .Y Y

7. In stop mechanism, the .combination with a spring-sustanied memberand an annular frame carried'thereby and havingan opening for a knitted-tube, of anfannularseries of spring-pressed nders Vcarriedby said annular frame and projecting thereinto, a shifting member, and means. forfimpart ing' movement from said springfsustained member and annular fra-me to said shifting member. v Y

8. Ina stop mechanism, the' combination with a spring-sustained member, andan -an`-V nular framevcarried thereby and having an opening for the 'PSSag'e of almittedtubQof.

an annular series of spring-pressed-.inders carriedby said annularframe and projectn ing thereinto, a shiftingmember, and gearing lbetween said spring-sustained member and said shifting member.. f v

9. In a stop mechanism, the combination with a vertically movable frame, a horizontal frame carried by said vertically movable frame and havingl an opening, a spring for sustaining said frames, a plurality of spring-pressed inders carried by said horizent-al frame and projecting into the opening in the latter'- a shait, a shifting memberI carried thereby, a pinion on said shaft and a racli carried by said vertically movable frame and meshing With said pinion.

l0. ln stop mechanism, the combination with a movable frame, a shifting member, and means for transmitting motion from said movable frame to said shifting member, of an annular divided frame carried by the movable frame and comprising two cooperating members having` hinge connection relative to each other and to said movable frame, the members of sain divided frame coperating to form an opening for the passage of a knitted tube, and spring pressed nders carried by the respective members of said divided frame and adapted to engage a knitted tube passing through the opening in said divided frame.

l1. In stop mechanism, the combination ing an opening for the passage of a knitted tube, said movable frame comprising a member having a plurality oi radial slots, argl a top plate over said slotted member and having a iange, finders mounted in said slots and adapted to engage a knitted tube passing through the opening in said frame, said inders having lugs having shoulders to engage said top plate, springs connecting the lugs at the outer ends of the finders with said iange, and means for transmitting movement of said movable frame to said shifting member.

In testimony whereof, l have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROY L. CAMPBELL. lVitnesses W. L. FROST, G. C. FORRESTER.

of a shifting member, a movable frame h\av 

